Wednesday, May 17, 2006

HPD Officer Robert Lawlor, "The Teflon Badge"

CONNECTICUT NEWSA City Officer Faces Arrest Report: North End Fatal Shooting Was Not Justified

May 17, 2006 By MATT BURGARD And TINA A. BROWN, Courant Staff Writers

Sterling Thomas watched from a distance as TV crews gathered outside the Ideal Market in Hartford's North End Tuesday after an investigation called for the arrest of a police officer who shot and killed a young man outside the store a year ago.

"It's good that they did this, but I doubt anything will change because of it," said Thomas, 16, a cousin of Jashon Bryant, the 18-year-old killed by Hartford police Officer Robert Lawlor.

"Maybe now the cops will think twice about harassing us just because of the way we look or the way we dress."

Still, Thomas and others admitted to feeling that the investigation's finding represented a small victory in the ongoing effort to improve the often-fractured relationship between Hartford police and the city's African American community.

"We hope this will lead to more accountability within the department, and more trust between the police and the neighborhoods," said John Thomas, an uncle of Bryant's.Lawlor, an 18-year veteran of the department, could be charged with first-degree manslaughter and first-degree assault in the May 7, 2005, shooting - the recommendation of a report released Tuesday by Waterbury State's Attorney John Connelly.

Lawlor would be the first Hartford police officer to face arrest in an on-duty shooting since Officer Robert Murtha was charged with first-degree assault and fabricating evidence in the January 2003 shooting of Elvin Gonzalez. Those charges are still pending.

But while Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez called for swift action, prosecutors said it could take several more weeks before any charges are filed.

"I fully expect that would happen in hours, not days and weeks," Perez said.

"We've waited long enough for the investigation, and, in order to show confidence, you have to act expeditiously on these recommendations."

Connelly's report came on the heels of a grand jury investigation by Superior Court Judge George N. Thim in which 48 witnesses were questioned and more than 200 exhibits reviewed. The report pointed to several key findings in reaching the conclusion that Lawlor, who is white, fired at Bryant, who was black, without justification.

Connelly, who was asked to conduct the grand jury investigation into the shooting to avoid an appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of prosecuting officials in Hartford, said the weight of the evidence gathered in the investigation made it impossible to justify the shooting.

"It's not a pleasant thing to determine that a police officer used deadly force in an inappropriate manner," said Connelly, who also prosecuted a white New Milford police officer who was accused of shooting a black man in the back in 1998.

"We tried to give the officer the benefit of the doubt in this case, but we had to base the decision on the facts and the law."

Lawlor was in plainclothes working on a special task force in Hartford aimed at getting guns off the street on May 7, 2005, when, he testified, he saw Bryant toying with a gun while standing by a parked car in a parking lot.

Lawlor, who was working with an agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, approached the car and ordered Bryant, who had gotten into the car, and the car's driver, Brandon Henry, to show their hands, the report says.

When Henry put the car in gear and drove forward, Lawlor fired five times, later claiming he thought he saw Bryant reach for a gun. Bryant was killed instantly, struck twice in the head; Henry continued driving despite being shot in the chest and later recovered.

Under a promise of immunity, Henry admitted that he was trying to flee because he had cocaine in the car and did not want to go to jail. But he said neither he nor Bryant had a gun. Despite extensive searches of the car and the area, no gun was ever found.

Connelly's report points to a series of contradictions and inconsistencies in Lawlor's version of events. Among them:

Bryant, who was seated in the passenger seat, had the tip of his right thumb grazed by one of the five gunshots. The wound suggests that, contrary to Lawlor's testimony, at least one of Bryant's hands was raised and in clear view of the officer during the shooting.

The ATF agent with Lawlor that night testified that he did not recall Lawlor warning him about a gun. While Lawlor testified that the agent, Daniel Prather, was unfamiliar with the Hartford police code number for weapons, Prather testified that he was familiar with the code number for a gun - "an 83" - and did not remember Lawlor mentioning it to him that night. Prather told the grand jury that he never considered himself in danger during the incident, and did not believe that Bryant and Henry were armed.

Lawlor testified that he fired first at Bryant in the passenger seat, and then at Henry, but experts, including forensic scientist Henry Lee, reconstructed the shooting and concluded that the first two shots actually struck Henry as he drove off, while the last three struck Bryant from behind. Hartford Police Department policy prohibits officers from firing at vehicles that are driving away from them unless the occupants of the vehicle are using deadly force against the officers.

Lawlor denied passing on information to other detectives in the days after the shooting about a confidential informant who had told him an unidentified drug addict had recovered a gun from the area where the shooting took place. Though Lawlor claimed he did not remember talking to detectives about the tip, some of them testified that he had. The informant was later charged with fabricating the story.

Members of Bryant's family, including his father, Keith Thomas, said they were pleased with Connelly's recommendations, while expressing hope that they will lead to charges against Lawlor soon.

"Basically, this report is telling us that there's a cop with a happy trigger finger still on the job in Hartford," said Bryant's uncle, David Gaines.

"How can we feel truly safe, or truly satisfied, until he is behind bars?"

Community leaders, including North End activist and school board member Andrea Comer, said the report is the first step toward justice for the Bryant family.

"Our work will not be done until we have a conviction," she said.

"I'm happy we've gotten this far, but we still have a long way to go."

Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano said Connelly's findings have been referred to New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington, who ultimately will decide whether to charge Lawlor. Dearington said Tuesday that he must first go over the transcripts and exhibits in the grand jury investigation before making a decision.

"I would say it would be a matter of weeks at this point," Dearington said.

Lawlor remains on administrative duty. If he is arrested, he will be suspended.

Lawlor was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but his attorney, Michael Georgetti, said he is disappointed by Connelly's report, and plans to contest any criminal charges that might be filed against him.

"Officer Lawlor ... disagrees with the finding that the discharge of a firearm was not justified," Georgetti said.

"Officer Lawlor maintains he acted in full compliance with his responsibilities as a police officer. He has over 18 years on the job and is a highly decorated police officer. He is known by his co-workers and the citizens of the city of Hartford to be a fair and compassionate street cop."

In a prepared statement, Police Chief Patrick J. Harnett said the department "has cooperated fully with the investigation and will continue to do so as we await further direction from the Office of the Chief State's Attorney."

The chief did not return telephone calls Tuesday.

Before the Bryant shooting, Lawlor was best known as an aggressive street cop who helped bring down drug dealers and gang members during the height of the gang wars in the 1990s. He worked on various task forces with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration and recently was assigned to work in the Hartford police intelligence division.

In 1990, Lawlor and Officer Anthony Martinez were cleared of wrongdoing after they fired on a carload of teenagers, injuring a 15-year-old. A police and citizens review board said that the officers were justified when they fired their weapons because they were returning gunfire.

Courant Staff Writer Jeffrey B. Cohen contributed to this story.

A discussion of this story with Courant Staff Writer Tina Brown is scheduled to be shown on New England Cable News each hour today between 9 a.m. and noon.

Key Findings:• A federal agent assigned to work with Office Robert Lawlor that day said he never saw a gun.

• All five shots fired from Lawlor's gun were fired as the car was driving away from him. The two shots that struck Bryant in the head were both fired from behind him.

HARTFORD - Former Hartford police officer Robert Lawlor was found not guilty today of manslaughter for shooting and killing one man and wounding another in 2005.

The jury returned the verdict in Hartford Superior Court around 1 p.m. today. It began deliberating the case Friday afternoon. Lawlor faced a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Jashon Bryant, 18, was killed on May 7, 2005, when Lawlor shot him and 26-year-old Brandon Henry during a drug investigation. Lawlor testified that he thought Bryant had a gun.

Wailing with grief, Bryant's family and friends rushed out of the courtroom after the verdict was read.

"A policeman has license to kill black people in our neighborhood and get away with it," said Keith Thomas, Bryant's father. "It was my son who got bullets put into him. [Lawlor] should be going to prison."

Judicial marshals stood by inside the courthouse as the verdict was read, and the mood was tense and confrontational. All other court business had been stopped.

Outside the courthouse, Thomas continued to criticize the police, as well as an all-white jury of four women and two men.

"Where do we go from here?" he asked. "We still live in the slavery days. Do what you want to the niggers out here on the street, because you're going to get away with it," he said.

Bryant's mother Cynthia nearly collapsed outside the courthouse as she sobbed with relatives about the verdict.

Speaking outside the courthouse, Lawlor said he was prepared for the jury to come back with either verdict, but he said he was not willing to apologize.

"To apologize would be to admit some fault," Lawlor said. He said it was the toughest decision he'd ever had to make.

"I did what I had to do that night to ensure the safety of the public," he said.

"This case was certainly a tragedy for Bobby Lawlor and certainly a tragedy for the family of Jashon Bryant," said Michael A. Georgetti, Lawlor's attorney. "My heart goes out to everyone.

"However," he continued, "this case should not have been tried in the first place. The legislature should take a close look at the investigatory grand jury system and the abuses that take place within it." When asked what Lawlor would do next, Georgetti said he did not believe he would go back into law enforcement. "At this point my client is going to get on with the rest of his life."

Two dozen state police troopers and judicial marshals escorted Lawlor down Russ Street to his attorney's office as members of Bryant's family yelled at Lawlor. At one point, the crowd stopped at the intersection of Russ and Oak streets, blocking traffic as Bryant's father Keith Thomas and Bryant's sister Shirin Bryant confronted Lawlor in the middle of the street.

Shirin Bryant talked with Lawlor about how, throughout the trial, they exchanged hellos, and Lawlor agreed. But when asked why Lawlor would not apologize to her, Lawlor said, "I don't want to talk in front of 50 people."

Hartford police then called for backup to clear the traffic, and Lawlor proceeded into Georgetti's office.

Lawlor was working a police sting involving drugs and guns with an agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when, he said, he saw Bryant holding a gun as Bryant got into Henry's car, authorities said. The officers approached the car, and when the vehicle began moving, Lawlor fired his weapon. The bullets struck Bryant and Henry, who sped away from the scene.

Bryant died instantly from two gunshot wounds to the head. Henry, who was shot in the chest, ran away wounded and hid under a porch until police dogs found him. Henry told officers who found him he couldn't believe he "got shot over drugs," according to testimony. Police found cocaine in the vehicle, but they never found a weapon, and a grand jury recommended that charges be brought against Lawlor.

Lawlor did not take the stand, but his grand jury testimony was read into evidence.

Check back to courant.com for updates.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story posted on Dec. 8 at 2:21 p.m. misidentified Jashon Bryant's sister. Her name is Shirin Bryant .

55 Comments:

Anonymous said...

I recently recieved mail from Officer Lawlor's wife requesting a donation to help pay for Officer Lawlor's legal expenses. In her mailing, she failed to mention several key facts in the case, including the fact that the victim was shot in the back of the head. Needless to say, I will not be donating to Officer Lawlor's legal defense fund. I would ask that Mrs. Lawlor please tell the whole truth before she goes asking private citizens for money.

I just recieved a letter from Lawlor's wife ask for support for her husband , sorry but I didn't take just the word of this letter check the web this guy is a dirty cop and I know they (Police) deal with criminals all the time it hardens you sometimes to where you have no feeling.My brother is a 41 year vet of the S.A.P.D. and it gets into their blood they all alter the law to make themselves look good. I will not waste my time but bad things happen to good cops but also bad cops make it hard on their fellow officers. I think State Attorney John Connelly has to go after Officer Robert Lawlor because his story doesn't match the evidence, let the trial begin...

I like the others in this post received a "Please send money" request recently, and like the others, I too was skeptical. I have been taught to listen to both sides of a story and then make a determination based upon the facts.However, I have found out from past experience that the real truth lies buried somewhere in the middle. Since this article was posted in May 2006, we have no way of knowing whether Officer Lawlor was relieved of duty with or without pay, or whether she actually wrote this letter or just endorsed it's contents. To me It felt like yet another effort by a non profit org. to ply money from our wallets.I feel sad for both sides of this tragedy in that no matter what the eventual outcome is, this is a no win situation. Families on both sides will continue to grieve and there will be a palpable scar in the township as well. Ultimately, Jashon's father has given us some unintended insight into some possible reasons for his sons previous history of lawlessness, including armed robbery, and I believe someone included car jacking among his other steller achievements.I think perhaps Mr. Bryant should take a long hard look in the mirror and accept the responsibility he rightfully bears for not raising his son with a clear vision and moral compass pointed in a positive direction.

A Federal report states that Agent Prather was in fear of his life when the car lurched forward. Also Henry was recently arrested in East Hartford for armed robbery and a weapon was recovered. Funny how certain things get left out

The criminals are guilty and they know it. When ordered to stop and get out of the car by police and you don't, you endanger your life and the officers. The state attorney is obvious a "Mike Nifong" out to make a name for himself. I will donate to his defense because Offcer Lawlor is right in his actions. I hope the ATF agent can live with himself after changing his story.

In the long run, we can either be policed by the Robert Lawlor's of the world - honest law enforcement officers trying to serve and protect, and do their duty, or we can be policed by street gangs. Maybe Lawlor shot too fast before asking more questions. But let's face it, he didn't shoot an old lady on her way to the grocery store, he shot 2 dangerous felons. If we get rid of all the Lawlor types, which we will if we basically tell them that they will be punished for doing their job the best they can, then what will be left will be the gangs. They will police things, in their own way I suppose, but don't expect any help if you are being mugged...

I will donate to Mrs. Lawlor. This world has gone absolutely in sane! What other truth do you want Mrs. Lawlor to say. That Bryant was a saint. He was a criminal! Officer Lawlor did not wake up that morning and say "oh let me go kill a good black kid today". You people make me sick!

i believe black, white, yellow,green if you choose to be a criminal, in your town the police have the right to make judgement calls,within the law.I am not saying I support Lawlor,or that we shouldent question it, all the facts are not in. I am saying as a society in this day and age, pulling the race card is getting old!!!!A CRIMINAL IS A CRIMINAL! If Bryant and his buddy were arrested before, why are they out?? What crimes do they have to commit to stay in jail? All the money we waste in this country, in other couontries!!!We need to take a good long look at our priorities people and catch these kids before its too late.

The bottom line is that the men were asked to show there hands and stop the the car. If they were looking for a five dollar bill they had lost in the parking lot at the time then why not do as the officers asked. Parents and friends are as responsible as Officer Lawlor for the death of Bryant and the injury to Henry. Why do we let our friends delve into the illegal activity that so many are involved in? Because we support their conduct? What this country needs needs is a big dose of morality and for us to accept our duty as our brothers keeper. This scene will play out before the public in a trial that will see justice done, or will it? Remember the guilty go free and the innocent are sentenced in this country everyday. The reason is self importance on the part of the law on both sides, offense and defense. Help the Officer's family get what they can of Justice, it wasn't their fault either. How much money do we all have to spend when society comes a calling for our punishment, guilty or not. The state supports the criminal many times over help they give those accused of doing wrong to the criminal. Help make it a level playing field for God's sake.

After reading the letter Mrs. Lawlor sent, and hearing that the the climate in Connecticut is that the police of Connecticut have not been known as being particularly sensitive to the black people makes me feel that this is not going to be a very good place to have this trial.

The chances of a white police officer getting a fair and unbiased hearing is poor. Anyone running for office certainly is looking at this as a good case to get the black vote.

Even if he made a mistake, how many of us could have made the right decision if we only had 3 seconds to react?

I also got a request for money to help in this case. I have been reading about it for a couple of hours now. Officer Lawlor did what he thought was best at the time. Why didn't the driver cut the car off as asked and both former "criminals" get out? Why did they flee? The driver has admitted he knew they were cops and saw their weapons drawn. So why leave? Oh yeah it was because of the cocaine they had under the seat. I am sure there was a gun too that he tossed out the window as he was fleeing. Officer Lawlor should not have been charged with a crime at all. If officers continue to let these thugs rule our streets we will all be sorry one day. Thugs like these have NO RESPECT for anyone even officers of the law!

I, too, just got an e-mail from 'Human Events' asking for support. I'm just checking out the story. Like someone said earlier, there's always two sides. I know one thing is true, I wouldn't want to be a cop and have to make that kind of critical decision in mere seconds.

It's unfortunate that as a society, we strive so hard for "fairness" that we sometimes lose our perspective, attaching far too much importance to the rights of criminals. Some would even go so far as to give these same constitutional protections to foreign enemies, effectively making them citizens by proxy.

Murder is murder. You shouldn't be allowed to execute anyone just because you are a police officer.

Life and death should not be decided by an alleged racist officer.

Former Connecticut Police Officer Scott Smith stood on the back of a Black suspect and then fired his gun near his boot executing the suspect. The prosecutor in that case purposely botched the case so that Smith could skate on appeal.

I assume that is what will happen in the Lawlor case. Judges are rigging other cases to protect the public corruption perps, organized crime, bid rigging, nepotism, and other crimes, why not rig Lawlor's trial so he skates?

this is nothing more than a political witch hunt, its not like he shot a preacher in front of his church, this guy had a rap sheet a mile long and was nothing more than a plauge on society, he gave nothing to society he only took, if he had obeyed the police officers orders, this all could have been avoided. or better yet if he had been at work or home with his wife and kids that he was supporting.. bet cha he had neither, just another aclu baby

You misunderstand me. The point I was trying to get across is this: the dead man was a criminal, not someone's grandmother. good riddance, I say. While I think all police shootings should be investigated, I don't like to see taxpayers' dollars spent on trying to crucify a police officer who did the public a favor. Maybe it was a righteous shooting, maybe it was not. Either way, it's a win-win for the law-abiding public; another thug off the street. To be clear: I am not defending Lawlor, I am simply applauding his actions. His innocence or guilt will be determined by a court of law-not by you or I.

Have any of you ever been shot at?I would not stand by while a guy I had just seen with a gun reached under the seat for anything.There is 99 percent chance he's not offering you a cookie.The officers acted as they were trained.Had my two firends acted like they were trained they would still be alive today.I'm getting so sick of the race card being played, face it these two guys were dirt bags,and criminals,they forced the officers hands they got what they got end of story.Let God sort em out!They can count on me sending a donation.

I am very pleased to see a respectful and intelligent string of posts (minus only a few) on this board in regard to this emotionally distressing topic. I too received a mailer, appealing to my Christian side, and my mothering side. I would love to send money, money that I actually am finding it hard to come by lately, but after researching this case, I don't feel that sending money is justified. I also don't feel that vendicating the dead or injured is justified. Truth be told, your past IS your present, unfortunately. If you have a criminal record, and you are behaving strangely, you will be suspected IMMEDIATELY, and that is the lot you CHOSE in life. You made the decision to attach to yourself a lifelong curse of judgment, shame and doubt. HOWEVER, I also feel that the facts of the case that were left out in Mrs. Stephanie Lawlor's letter makes the request null. It is simply not a true statement according to investigative documents, court findings, and witness statements.

There was no reason, NO REASON, to shoot those boys from behind.

There was no reason, NO REASON, for those boys to drive away if they were doing nothing wrong.

This is a very VERY tough issue for me. I am white. My husband in black. Our children are biracial. He is very well educated, as I am very well educated. There are so many young, strong, bright black men out there making it terribly hard to "prove" people's suspicions of blacks to be wrong.

I too have received a letter asking me to donate to Robert Lawlor's cause. I too am researching the information that has been left out. Had I written the letter I just received, I would not have put anything in it even slightly negative against Lawlor. That's why I am researching. I know there was information left out of the letter. I (now) know there was information left out of the article above. I have not read anything about the Police Department clearing him of any wrongdoing. I cannot believe that a bullet grazing a thumb is proof that he had his hands raised in surrender. I would raise my hands too if bullets were flying.This is a VERY tough issue for me as well. I do not donate money to every sob story I hear but I have donated money to Ramos & Compeon & I will donate to Lawlor as well.

Every time I hear about something like this happening, I find myself hoping that the cop was black and the criminal was white. Then I know that there will be no long line of community "activists" and other troublemakers distorting the truth in order to make it appear that some criminal punk was actually a saintly youth minding his own business when he was executed by some hate-mongering cop just looking to make a thrill kill.Somehow, it's never mentioned that the cops recognized the criminals car as being used recently in a drive-by shooting, or that they had a bag of cocaine in the car, or that they had shot a man in a robbery or they they were scumbag criminals. No-- they were black, so getting shot was never gonna be due to any choices that THEY made.

Why hasn't the murderer, Lawlor, been put in prison for the rest of the scumbag's life? If the murderer wasn't a police officer, the case would have already been heard. Are they waiting for the public to forget about Lawlor so they can let the piece of shit walk?

I too received the donation mailing from Lawlor's wife. After reading the article here, I was skeptical, but after reading some of the posts, I'm pulling out my wallet and giving as much as I can. We need more guys like Lawlor.

Piece of shit Lawlor seems desperate. His lawyers are mailing all over the US to try and collect as much as possible for Lawlor's lawyer defense fund. The lawyers are snagging 99% of the collections for processing, the rest is for their $10,000 per hour fees!

Hey Robbie boy has a wife and 7 daughters! It's poon time as soon as Robbie boy is in jail. He can have his inmate call home and he can hear all the heterosexual squealing of joy sex he won't hear until he is an old man. Don't worry Robbie boy, we'll send you pictures.

It is too bad they are going through what they are for what their father, did, or didn't do.

Lawlor's prosecution should be examined for what is wrong with the system presided upon my judges. I think the first level of any courts should be presided upon by independent Grand Juries. Judges are notoriously corrupt and fix cases.

Officials such as Eliot Spitzer shouldn't be allowed to skate for breaking the same laws others go to prison for.

This is for all you out there that are calling Robert Lawlor a criminal. Think about what you are writing because you come accross extremely dumb and ignorant. Did Lawlor make a bad decision? Probably. However there is a big difference beetween making a mistake and having someone die then cold blooded murder. Put your self in his position. He has been shot at and stabbed before so he is probably (and rightfully so) even a little more carefull then most. He sees a car begin forward in which his partner is standing in front of. He claims he see's one of them reach down (god knows for what) he acted quickley and made a bad decision. Do you really think he should then be labled as a murderer and go to prison? If you want to take him off the job thats one thing, but jail.....

1st. The criminals past/future crimes have nothing to do with this case. Lawlor didn't know who they where. It does not matter.

2nd. The driver raised at least one hand. Which indicates he was showing he was unarmed.

3rd. It takes a lot for one cop to cross another, so with his partner not conforming to Lawlor's story, you know something might be fishy.

4th. Can't fire at a vehicle headed away from you.

Conclusion: A human life is very fragile thing. Police officers make the toughest decisions in the world. But frankly you can nont fire at a vehicle driving away from you unless they were shooting too. If lawlor believed that the passenger had a gun, then he had every right too. This is a very quirky case and I feel bad for both families.

It's not that Lawlor shot and killed a fleeing felon, it's that he lied about every circumstance leading up to and after the incident. The "code" for gun he claims he used, the "scared for his life" excuse, supposedly protecting his partner - who wasn't in fear according to him, the "planted" informant and gun story, the suspect having a missing finger - that says his hands were in the air and the fact that Bryant was shot in the BACK of his head (execution?) says a lot about the character and intentions of Lawlor. Lawlor stated he shot Bryant first (with the supposed weapon), but it is Henry who was first shot.

I know that policing in Hartford has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world...but, the integrity of that force must be maintained and Lawlor has fallen far too short in his maintenance of that trust to the level of criminality and as such should be charged - and convicted.

Neither he nor the cop that follows him will care if they do it again, but maybe the city will employ, train and manage their force so that it doesn't cost the city a huge sum to settle a case as this one will I'm sure.

YOU are the type of hypocritical, snide, judgmental hot-head that is exactly the problem with an extremely flawed and violent system. Because Lawless, I mean Lawlor, had a gun he is automatically a clean, righteous individual? He shot an unarmed CITIZEN in the back of the head.

Well, to the commenters who wrote a mini-fantasy about raping the man's family and the one jollying himself to the idea of a white cop dying in the chair; next time an officer asks to see your hands, you should reach down really fast instead.

This story takes on a different tone if, when you read the account of what happened, edit the words "black suspect" and "white officer" down to "suspect" and "officer". Do you really think that if that story had played out with white perps, no rounds would have been fired? Please...

p.s. To all those "trigger happy" cops out there, remember: just because they dress like criminals, act like criminals, make suspicious and threatening moves like criminals, speed away like criminals, and have criminal records like criminals, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE CRIMINALS!!!

2009:Astonishing - TragicI also just received an email asking for money and spent the last few hours being pulled into a controversy I didn’t know existed an had, naively, hoped was a relic of the past. But alas, no. I found not one infinitesimal grain of plausibility in the officers statements. In such a truly sad tale, officer Lowler testimony is, at its best, laughable.1)“CRIMINALS,” are at most “SUSPECTS,” until proven guilty in a court of law. a.Until so proven Suspects are due all rights and privileges of any Citizen under our system of government. i.It is to these principles, that all citizens in this country have agreed in order to achieve a just and equitable society. b.Any effort by ANY Citizen (Sworn or Unsworn) which is deliberately short of this admittedly lofty ideal breeds chaos.2) The oxymoron of breaking the law in order to enforce it - breeds chaos.3) By those of us that have taken on the badge, it should be fundamentally clear that one’s most loyal oath is to upholding these ideals.QED - No Money!

I can't figure out why any true police officer would even question the actions of Officer Lawlor. If you are in fact a real police officer (street cop) you have been in a situation that you can only react in split seconds. John Connelly has had several months to sit in his office and pick apart this case. I say piss on the media and this little pricks "family". I am sending money to support this FELLOW OFFICER in his time of need. This could happen to any of us if you in fact are an actual working cop !

The bottom line is that we hire cops to make these decisions, and the standard is whether or not he was in fear of harm for himself or another. Whether or not YOU or any other couch potato quarterback would have made the same decision after reading an article and trying to reconstruct the event in your feeble little imagination is totally irrelevant. It has been mentioned that the car was driving away from him (at an angle, presumably) but could it not have been TOWARD his fellow cop, who has testified at least once before that he was in fear for his life? So it is NOT an unreasonable choice he made. In no case could you call it murder, so use your words more thoughtfully (murder is premeditated; nothing in this story suggests he set out to kill the crack kid^H^H^H^H^H^H^H victim). It was a killing, tragic for the victim and his family, but totally justified under the circumstances, and totally avoidable had the victim not conducted himself in a stupid, criminal, and threatening manner (color blindness faithfully applied). I will poke around a little more before donating, but I don't think Mrs. Lawlor's plea left out any more nuance than did this article.

It is obvious the politicians have entered the arena on this one. It is too bad they don't have more interest in protecting the public than getting votes. These punks tried to run. That was the first bad move. Lawlor reacted to this provocative bad move and deemed the situation life threatening. Give Lawlor the benefit of the doubt and move on.

I agree. They should not have stared the car - a police officer was standing in front of the car! Next time shall we pause and see if the criminal misses the officer!? I have served or juries. Robert Lawlor is innocent unless proven guilty. You can not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his partner was NOT in mortal danger when the car was headed toward him! Therefore, Robert Lawlor is innocent. It is as simple as that. Cut through the rest of the smoke screens the lawyers and politicians are throwing out there and lets get this good man back to work! I am sending my contribution and my prayers!

The only problem I see with Lawlor is that he didnt fire enough bullets. The cocaine dealer Henry, turned snitch lived, to ruin more peoples lives with a dirty drug. If Henry was shot in the chest how was he driving away? Answer that one, Mr. Connelly

Cops in Connecticut can abduct you from your home, come in the middle of the night take your kids to HQ and beat them, can hire "confidential state registered police informants" to kill you, beat you up, or make false statement for an excuse to arrest you. [click here for video and proof]

Even among cops, Lawlor has a reputation as being a thug, scumbag, macho-man liar. Cops should not be able to beat people up and shoot them in the back, executing them at will, for racist beliefs, retaliation, or any excuse.

Lawlor, a White cop, seems to have liked to harass, terrorize, stalk, and railroad any Black he could. Yes, some were criminals. But, in America there should be some quality control for law enforcement. Lawlor should be the posterchild for the need for Civilian Oversight of Police.

Ritt Goldstein held a special hearing on the subject at the Hartford Capitol. He was so terrorized by Connecticut Police in the State of Connecticut, their misconduct was so bad, that Ritt fled to Sweden seeking political asylum soon after making [this video].

Ha, ha, ha.... another apologist for the criminal element. What a great way to spend your energy!

I'm a law enforcement officer and according to the training that I received several states away from CT, you are justified in using deadly force if you feel that your life or limb, or that of another is in imminent danger. I would have done the same thing. Better be judged by 12 than carried by 6 was what we were taught at the academy. I stand by those words and will help Ofc. Lawlor with a monetary contribution. Please do the same.

And by the way, read this article to see our future here if we keep going down this path: Cops on the Brink of the Abysshttp://elvatoloko.blogspot.com/

Thank you officer Lawlor. You probably saved countless innocent people's lives ... the next store owner they robbed, countless new cocaine addicts they would recruit and any innocent people in the path of that fleeing car that sped away AFTER a police officer said do not turn on the car!!! If an officer cannot protect law abiding citizens by shooting after he has in effect said stop or I will shoot we are all screwed. The person responsible for that boys life is his friend that was in control of wether or not that car drove away. The driver should be on trial for manslaughter. Because those boys did not want to get caught with drugs or very probably a gun that was used in a previous robbery they endangerd anyone on that sidewalk or walking or driving on those streets. This is not a race issue. For officer Lawlor to be working so long on those streets I am sure he was respected by many that lived there, obviously the fathers that raised cocaine using/selling robbers have not taught respect to their children nor do they exhibit it themselves. Henry is directly responsible for Bryants death, as is Bryant himself if he was reaching for a gun. Just because there was no gun found does not mean one did not exist. I think I will believe an officer before a drug dealing, fleeing robber anyday. By the way my family is biracial and I have a white punk nephew that I would hold responsible for his own actions if he fled when an officer drew his gun. People just have to respect authority period. If you want to use the excuse that an officer might be abusing their authority then calmly keep your hands raised and drive the speed limit to the nearest police or fire station to seek help, not reach for something and speed of recklessly. God Bless Lawlor and his family. I hope common sense and respect prevail, I am tired of criminals getting all of the rights in this country. I am thankful that a white officer would be kind and brave enough to work the streets of Hartford's north end to try and get guns and criminals off of the street. Thank you and shame on your fellow officers for not supporting you.

Lawlor's trial is now going on. There is no big reporting of it. Almost 5 years have gone by where there has been massive soliciting of funds all over the country to support the White "American Patriot" who thinks it is okay to shoot African Americans in the back.

The same way Officer Scott Smith was able to skate after standing on an African American's back, shooting next to his boot, executing the man, is the same rigged court system that Lawlor will potentially take advantage of. Let's see ...

the cop shot at a kid from behind, regardless of his criminal past, that didn't justify it, he didn't know about it, becuase it's not like he knew who the kid was. He said he "thought" he saw a gun, yet the car was driving away, which is why the cop shot him in the back of the head. wow, some gun that must've been. was it an AK-47 or something to that matter becuase if you have someone in the back of the head, the kid must've been a great shot to shoot backwards.

I read the report of this case and the evidentiary findings. My point of view is that Officer Lawlor made a huge mistake, by not identifying a weapon and based on fear, he over reacted, and fired his weapon. I don't think that Officer Lawlor should be charged with Murder or Manslaughter, but givin the history, and actions of the defendant, Lawlor should be aquitted since an accident or misfortune had occured.

I have a continuing problem with "The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund", which issued the letter from his wife, on his behalf. Contribute, no, I don't think so. The "Fund" habitually and continually leaves out many certain, condemning facts, which cause me grief as an ex-cop, but which I find inexcusable in the line of duty. After receiving several of these 'pleas' for contributions, I find the same alarming trend. These officers would not have been prosecuted had they not over reacted or erred in a line-of-duty judgement. Unlike the female police officer who set her K-9 partner on a Hispanic individual, after he had raised his hands and was essentially, giving up. Same plea from the "fund". Send money. When one receives these couched pleas, do some homework. They are not innocent. They are bad examples of Police Officers, even if it was a bad lapse of judgment. We have no opportunity to have those lapses. Any officer knows that.